


Potentialis

by 999238



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rigel Black Series - murkybluematter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:41:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/999238/pseuds/999238
Summary: Harry lets Archie convince her to take the Potentialis potion.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35
Collections: Rigel Black Chronicles Masquerade 2021





	Potentialis

Archie kept nagging her to take a Potentialis Potion, and while Harry didn’t see the point, and said so, she decided to humor Archie. He could be quite persuasive, and failing that, annoying, when he wanted to be. Anyway, whatever the potion showed her wouldn’t matter in the long run. Potions were what mattered to her, regardless of what this particular one might say.

* * *

After dinner, and putting away her brand new Firebolt, Archie dragged a bemused Harry down to her lab to her lab to brew. She once again pulled out her copy of Occasional Potions, and got started. It was easier going the second time around brewing it, though not much faster. After two and a half hours and a close comparison with the book’s description, they concluded she had once again brewed it perfectly. With a pinch and a tug, Harry was holding a strand of her own hair, which she promptly dropped into the freshly brewed bottle of Potentialis potion.

Archie looked at her expectantly, “Well? Aren’t you going to drink it?”

Harry gave him an incredulous look, “And risk my potions lab?”

“Um…” Archie blinked at her

“Without telling Lily and James either?” Harry continued, “You do realize the magic it manifests is unpredictable and prone to volatility?”

“Oh,” Archie gave her a sheepish grin, “I suppose we should go tell them, then.”

Making their way up the stairs, they found Lily and James lounging on the couch. Remus and Sirius had apparently left sometime after their potions brewing had begun. Noticing the two cousin’s approach, James said with raised eyebrows and a smile, “What’s got you two looking like you’re up to something?”

The two in question glanced at each other and Archie stepped forward, “Well, there’s this potion called Potentialis, and we just wanted to tell you that any explosions you might hear are not unexpected!” He nodded to himself in satisfaction and turned as if to walk away, while James sat up in alarm.

“What he means, Dad” Harry interjected, “Is that he convinced me to take the Potentialis potion to reveal my magical and elemental affinity, that kind of thing.”

James relaxed slightly, “And the bit about explosions?”

Harry shot Archie a glare before turning back,“Well, The way the magic manifests is rather unpredictable, so it might cause a disturbance. It’s usually drunk alone for that reason. We came up to tell you not to worry too much about it.”

The two parents stared at them for a long moment, “I don’t suppose you want us being there, do you?” Lily asked.

Harry’s gaze turned slightly apologetic, “No, I’d rather go through it alone.” Glancing at her cousin, she amended, “Or rather, with only Archie there.”

After another pause, both parents reluctantly nodded their assent, saying, “Yell if something goes wrong.”  
Archie grinned widely, grabbing her arm to drag her away, “Let’s go cousin, dearest! Potion drinking awaits!”  
Harry rolled her eyes at her cousin's antics, but let herself get dragged up to her room. Archie locked the door as best he could, and once again turned expectantly to Harry, who was giving him a look of concern, “Be ready, Arch. My magic in particular has always been a bit strange.”  
Archie rolled his eyes and waved his hand impatiently, “Yes, yes, just get on with it already!”  
After one final hesitation, Harry brought the potion bottle to her lips and drained it in two big gulps, it tasted bitter, as many potions did. Nothing happened for a minute, then two. Archie was beginning to frown and looked as if he was about to ask something, when Harry closed her eyes as She felt her magic shift beneath her skin, and warm up. Archie gasped and Her eyes flew open, everything was tinged orange. Looking down at herself, she saw flames crawling across her skin and cloths, crackling and hissing slightly, but not burning them.

After a moment to process this, She glanced up and said dryly, “Fire, how surprising.”

“Really Harry? You are literally on fire, and that’s all you can say?” Archie threw his arms up in exasperation, but Harry wasn’t paying him any mind. She was looking closely at the flames clinging to her, they almost seemed to be forming into little snakes. She could almost interpret the sound the fire was making as snake hisses, even. A faint sense of chaos, with hints of order behind it, was making itself known throughout her magic, that would be, as she described it, Her mostly neutral magic. After almost five minutes, the flames around her started to dissipate, and five minutes after that, they were gone completely.

Looking at her inquisitively, her cousin asked, “Well? Do you feel any strange and mysterious abilities revealing themselves?”

“...Not really, no” She answered

“No spectacular realizations? Maybe a strong urge to abandon your humanity and take to the skies as an animagus?” He asked hopefully

“That’s not how it works and you know it,” Harry replied with an eye roll, “I don’t feel very different at all actually. Anyway, it was a minuscule chance I would unlock some latent magical ability.

“Yeah,” Archie sighed with false despair, “Honestly, that was far less flashy than I expected it would be. Wasn’t there supposed to be explosions? I was hoping for explosions.”

“Archie, you would be in the room with the explosions,” Harry pointed out with mirth, which her cousin returned with a grin, seeming unfazed by her logic.

Shortly after that, they went to tell Harry’s parents about the uneventful results, leaving out the fiery snakes, and went their separate ways to bed.

Once in bed, She thought about what a nice day it had been, apart from her and Archie’s admittedly rather lengthy potion’s adventure, had been just her and her family hanging out quietly at home. Her final thought before drifting off to sleep was, “Told you so Arch, It was a waste of perfectly good ingredients, Nothing came of it.”


End file.
